Ginger - travel sickness and hayfever (Root Ginger)

Member Name: Plumptious

Product:	Root Ginger
Date:	21/11/00 (785 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Cheap and tasty.

Disadvantages: Not everyone likes it.

Do you suffer from hayfever? Sick of taking those little pills that turn you into a beached whale, emptying the contents of the office water cooler all by yourself in one morning (Chlorpheniramine maleate/Piriton) or being permanently drowsy and thinking that you don't get enough rest (Tenerfadine/Triludan)? Or are you just so sick of taking those little pills that the very thought of swallowing another one makes you gag?

I and others like me, who have taken so many tablets that our pores are oozing hayfever tablet powder, have a choice. That choice is to either stop taking the tablets or to continue, in which case there is this niggling suspicion that it MUST be doing something bad in there, otherwise why are you mentally gagging at just the thought of swallowing it? Just because you haven't noticed any side effects like the other pills, doesn't mean that it's fine. After all, it was prescribed by the same doctor/pharmacist who introduced you to the others.

Anyhow, if you have ever opted to stop taking the tablets, you will know that come the height of the hayfever season, your sinus and throat will permanently coated in that acidic/alkaline (dunno which - does anyone have a litmus strip) goo which stings and that nothing, not even orange juice or mints will shift.

This is where ginger comes in. Crystallised ginger is now sold in most health food shops. It only costs about a pound for 200g. If you've never come across it, it's just nibble sized cubes wearing sugar jackets.


[ SCENE FADES. NEXT SCENE IS OF A SCHOOL PLAYGROUND IN CHINA ]

Ever thought of what your Chinese counterpart eats at breaktime? Crisps and chocolate are available now, of course. However, before the introduction of delicacies such as chewing gum and rock candy, a typical Chinese child would enjoy various preserved fruit. They are all considered sweets, but have a higher fruit content than their Western counte
rparts. Crystallised ginger and pickled mango are a couple of examples.


[ CUT. NEW SCENE. ME IN OFFICE,
ACIDIC LAYER BURNING THROAT. UNABLE TO BREATHE PROPERLY ]

After going through periods of spending more time in the office than at home, I have gotten into the habit of always having a box full of assorted foodstuffs with me. This causes great hilarity amongst my colleagues, and they look forward to seeing what novel delicacy I will pull out to share next.

The Fruit Salads (a penny sweet) went down very well. The more cautious young ones looked askance at the crystallised ginger. A couple of the more senior staff remembered having them as treats at Christmas. The general consensus was one of cautious enjoyment. One person spat them out - this happens fairly often with the less established food forms and is regarded as part of the whole experience by the office.

Returning to my desk after consoling my latest casualty, I realised that my air passages had cleared somewhat. Upon consultation with a fellow sufferer down the corridor who had bravely sworn off pills entirely, we came to the conclusion that these things really work. He was most pleased and promised to remember me every time he bought a new bag of ginger.

So, will you try it? It doesn't cost much and if you don't like it, you can either use it as a cake topping or donate it to the next dog you befriend. My dogs love them.


TRAVEL SICKNESS
----------------------------
These little cubes are also very handy if you get travel sick. Nibble at one if you are feeling nauseous. It will help. I don?t know how or why, but it does. Avoiding fizzy drinks before and after the journey also helps.


CLEANSING
-----------------
Apparently, ginger has the wonderful effect of cleansing your blood. Again, I don't know why or how, but it does.


... and if you don't suffer from anything
that crystallised ginger can remedy, how about simply considering it as a new gastronomic delight?

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